A biblical framework for Integrated Ministry … Something’s missing. Maybe not in our intentionality or desire to proclaim the Good News, but in the way we’re together. Walk into many churches today, and you’ll find faithful, committed ministry happening in every age group. Children are taught, youth are engaged, adults are equipped, and seniors fellowship […]
A Cultural Shift Why Integrated Ministry matters … Something shifted in the 1990s. Many have observed it. Some have tried to explain it. Catholic sociologist Christian Smith, in Why Religion Went Obsolete, suggests that the rise of neoliberal capitalism reshaped the cultural landscape into a competitive marketplace where careers, education, extracurriculars, and even identity itself […]
The article Pastors Must Equip Parents, Not Replace Them highlights a critical truth: family-focused ministry shapes vision, culture, and practice so children grow up seeing faith lived in the home, modelled in the church, and reinforced across generations. Below are practical steps for pastors, ministry stakeholders, and parents to move toward this biblical vision. For Pastors […]
Part 3 of the three-part series: Rethinking Sunday School Rethinking Sunday School Throughout this series, we’ve asked some challenging questions. Does Sunday School make lifelong disciples? Is Sunday School still accomplishing what it was designed to do? Why isn’t Sunday School producing lifelong disciples? And what does the research tell us about children who’ve attended […]
Part 2 of the three-part series: Rethinking Sunday School Lifelong Disciples In the first article of this series, we asked an important question: Does Sunday School make lifelong disciples? We acknowledged the tremendous good Sunday School has accomplished while also wondering whether one hour of age-segmented instruction each week is enough to form lifelong followers […]
Part 1 of the three-part series: Rethinking Sunday School Is Sunday School Effectively Making Disciples? Walk into almost any church on a Sunday morning, and you’ll probably find children heading off to Sunday School or Kids’ Church. For generations, this has been one of the church’s most familiar ministries. Many of us have fond memories […]
New Christian gradparenting book … A biblical vision for intentional grandparenting Around the world, Christian grandparents are awakening to a fresh understanding of their influence on the next generation. Many have long cherished their role, yet few have been encouraged or equipped to see themselves as intentional disciple‑makers. Christian Grandparenting: Leaving a Lasting Legacy, my […]
Why rituals shape children’s faith … Across North America, pastors and parents share a common ache: children raised in the church often drift away in adulthood. Sociologists have offered sobering data, and ministry leaders have offered countless diagnoses. We frequently point to cultural shifts, technological saturation, fractured families, or inadequate youth programming—all of these matter. […]
Cultivate A Holistic Perspective If children’s ministry is limited to Sunday classes, VBS, and the occasional fun event, we’ve drastically narrowed its purpose. A genuinely holistic children’s ministry engages the whole child—spiritually, emotionally, physically, and intellectually—within the context of family and community. It recognizes that children don’t grow in a relational vacuum. Theological convictions, social […]
Soul Care for Children’s Ministry Leaders … Children’s ministry is holy ground, a sacred calling to partner with parents in the faith formation of their children. It should never be taken lightly. To nurture children’s faith, we must first nurture our own spiritual health. Children’s ministry starts with a healthy heart. This is crucial. We […]
